Cancer Symptoms. Recurring Abscesses, internal. Enlarged Liver. Threatened Cancer of the Pylorus. Uterine Fibroid. Uterine Fibroid, another case.
AMONGST the internal cancers are to be found many cases the diagnosis of which, as regards malignancy, must necessarily be doubtful. These cases will come under the head of cancer symptoms. In the following case of
RECURRING ABSCESSES IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BODY,
it was thought by previous advisers that a cancerous origin could alone account for the symptoms. This opinion was probably fortified by the fact that both her parents had died of tumour in the stomach. The woman was 64 years of age, a dressmaker, date of case October 31, 1899, out of health for two years, seven children, married thirty-two years. In March of 1899 went into the West London Hospital with bladder symptoms: was examined for tumour but none found, and during the fortnight in hospital a copious vesical discharge drained from her.
In the following May, an abscess seemed to burst in the ethmoidal cells, for blood and muco-pus poured away from the nose for two days. She then went to Brighton and got better of this, but on her return diarrhoea with melaena set in, as if something had burst in the bowels; this was in July.
Since then has got better of these symptoms; but during the last week has had much pain, as though another internal abscess were forming, in the lower back.
No history of uterine trouble beyond some flooding at the change; constipation brings on severe uterine bearing-down, and this is her present condition. Sleep disturbed at night but is very drowsy by day. Subject to flushes of heat and feverishness with coldness of the extremities, particularly the feet and legs.
Prescription: Matthiola Annua O A. In a fortnight she reported great relief from the pain in the back, but the urine was thick with a filmy substance on it; she felt stronger and better altogether, the bowels were acting naturally, and sleep had returned natural and refreshing.
Again, same dose. At end of second fortnight, she declared herself better in every respect, though still had bearing-down in front and enuresis if bowels were confined. After the last dose, passed a large quantity of water, and of flatus, and again the film appeared on the urine.
Prescription: Zincum met. Phosphorus: 3x. gr. ii. z3iv. 3ii. td. This I gave for the weakness of the memory along with the nephritic irritability which I considered existed, and in a month she returned, after having gone through a great distress of mind that had caused a certain constipation with scantiness and a sedimentary condition of the water. Notwithstanding all this, her general health and strength, memory, nerves and head were all better; a dose of Matthiola was again given, and I learn from a mutual friend that the patient is now hearty and well five months after treatment.
Matthiola Annua, the common single Stock, is nearly allied to the wild Thapsus Bursa Pastoris, botanically, and like it meets cases due to inspissation of the juices of the body, gall-stones, &c., as well as offensive and irritating discharges coming from the usual (diarrhoea, &c.) or from unusual outlets abscesses, &C.
ENLARGED LIVER.
A woman of 62, very pale and delicate looking, had suffered from enlarged liver of five years with attacks of severe sickness, with a history of having had abscesses upon the lungs and upon the liver. The attacks of sickness last about a week and reduce her considerably. Gets them especially in wintry and damp weather, but practically has an attack every five of six weeks. The bowels are regular, with a tendency to blind piles, and the urine is very high-coloured occasionally. The area of hepatic dullness is markedly increased. A dose of Matthiola was followed by relief of all these symptoms: and when I saw her four months afterwards ( she came only by special request from me) she was wonderfully better, and had not had an attack of sickness all this time.
Here then is a valuable, because a very common cancer symptom, and demands the most earnest investigation.
As is well known to modern scientific investigators, a fact at one time considered the exclusive property of Homoeopathy; in every obscure and deep seated disease, we are often obliged to make our diagnosis depend entirely upon the symptoms; and it is to a correspondence between the symptoms of the disease and those of the selected remedy that we look for the dispersal of the malady. So that we have often to be guided by the symptoms both for diagnosis and for treatment.
I have shown how the symptoms of Ornithogalum Umbellat. start form the pylorus, and that even in an established and well proved case of cancer of this part, it effected a brilliant and unmistakable cure.
The next case has been treated recently, but it well deserves the heading I have placed upon it.
THREATENED CANCER OF THE PYLORUS.
A gentleman aged 52, who had suffered for five years from attacks of painful indigestion came to me early in April of this year (1900).
The attacks begin by a dull aching in the pit of the chest as from flatus, with painful efforts to bring it up, followed by jaundice. In the May of 1897 had a particularly severe attack, and again in February of 1899. The attacks hitherto have lasted about a week.
Four days ago a very bad attack began and is now getting worse; last night the pain was more severe than he ever remembers, though somewhat relieved by Gelsemium, feels chilly and as if a sick headache were coming on; urine high-coloured, bowels active.
Local examination revealed a distended stomach with decided dullness on percussion and slight prominence over the pylorus. Ornithogalum Umb. O A. was given, and Carbo. Anim. 6 x 2 grs. every fourth hour if in pain.
In nine days reports: The threatened sick headache went on unchecked, and has since had a general feeling of indigestion, though is otherwise much better; urine clearer, appetite better, bowels more confined and paler. Ornith. Umb. O A. again. Five weeks after reports himself quite well, free from any pain.
He reports, too, that whereas before the last dose he used to have to lie down on his back after every meal to prevent gastric pain, he can now dispense with any such precaution.
To me the result is the more satisfactory as I had succeeded with arborivital doses in completely relieving the excruciating agony that this patient’s wife has suffered from when dying of cancer combined with extensive dropsy.
UTERINE FIBROID.
Owing to the accidental destruction of a Case-book, my early notes of the following were lost. Hence the substitution of the patient’s own testimony.
” First came under (arborivital) treatment February 19, 1898, for advanced stage of fibrous tumour. Had previously been examined, a fortnight before, by a lady doctor on the staff of the Women’s Hospital, Euston Road, who stated that operation was not immediately necessary, but who, in answer to a question as to whether this could be avoided eventually by medicine, declared that this was impossible.
” The first treatment (unit dose) on the above date seemed to give immediate relief. The second (same remedy, R.T.C.), about a fortnight, afterwards caused uneasiness and pain, with so much puffiness for about ten days that it was difficult to wear one’s ordinary clothes.
” Since then, for about two years and a half I have followed the treatment with various effects, at intervals of from four to five weeks to two months, sometimes with slight pain, sometimes with entire freedom from any inconvenience whatever. After the dose of last February (1900), and again yesterday (May 18), with almost entire feeling of relief from the sensation of pulling on the right side and pain in the lower part of the back, which was almost constant until recently.
” I should mention that when I first came under treatment I was nearly 48, that the change of life and commenced very early, nearly eight years previously, about which time my trouble first made itself evident, causing much uneasiness and anxiety of mind as the pressure brought about trouble with the bladder and kidneys.
” All this of late has almost disappeared, and I am now able to fulfill all my duties as governess in a way which I had not felt equal to for many years, for life was beginning to feel a burden from ill-health and anxiety.
” E.F.
” May 19, 1900.” “Highgate, N.”
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The interest of this case centres in the fact that the distress attendant upon this tumour, and which consisted of a sense of weight and of pulling and dragging chiefly in the right inguinal region, was relieved instantly by a drop of Helleb. foetid. given on February 15; and that the discomfort kept quite away, the patient not being, as she expressed it, ” conscious of anything being wrong” till after the first week in April. Also that while the Helleb. niger, and Viridis failed altogether to relieve her, the foetidus variety of the plant caused immediate relief.
The tumour which is implanted deep down in the pelvis, bulging more to the left than the right side of the womb, is now smaller and much more movable on pressure than on her first coming under treatment.
